


Christmas Spirit

by ThirthFloor



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Lights, Christmas Special, Christmas Tree, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer of Vengerberg are Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon's Parents, Geralt z Rivii & Jaskier & Yennefer z Vengerbergu are Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon's Parents, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Loves Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia is Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon's Parent, Good Parent Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Good Parent Jaskier | Dandelion, Ice Skating, Jaskier | Dandelion Has Feelings, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, Parent Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Parent Jaskier | Dandelion, Parent Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Past Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Rockefeller Square, Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg Ships It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:09:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirthFloor/pseuds/ThirthFloor
Summary: Christmas is Ciri's favorite holiday, and every year Geralt and Yennefer make sure she has the best day ever. This year, though, Ciri opts that Geralt brings his new boyfriend to join in their special family celebrations!
Relationships: Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Jaskier | Dandelion, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	Christmas Spirit

Despite having been separated from Yennefer for roughly eight years, Geralt had never been forced to spend the holidays alone. And neither had Ciri, for that matter. No, while the girl’s parents had split when she was far younger, they always ensured that, at least around the holidays, she would not feel any guilt or homesickness. Annually, as much as they could, the family gathered to spend the day together.

Christmas was a particularly special time of year, the winter weather carrying Ciri’s favorite season, but this was the first year their family may include one additional member. Geralt would be nervous introducing him to Yennefer, were it not for this _someone else’s_ particular confident disposition, as well as his absolute insistence that he be allowed to attend the festivities per Ciri’s request.

“Mum will absolutely love him Dad, please?” Ciri had pleaded, her eyes big and round and sparkling with the winter wonder that always came when the city was decorated with lights and garlands and ribbons, from pavement to the tippy top of the tallest skyscrapers; it was the same expression she held when she rushed to the window to see the fat flakes of snow falling every other day.

“Come now, Geralt, don’t disappoint the girl! Please?” And Jaskier had matched her expression, those blue eyes irresistible – especially with the triumphant twinkle that shone there too, bastard knowing _exactly_ what he was doing.

And Geralt, damn him for being strong enough to refuse his boss and his clients attempting to call him in from vacation, but not strong enough to resist the two people he had held dearest. The last thing he wanted was to leave the comfort of their apartment and head into the throng of tourists and New Yorkers in Times Square alike, and he had closed his eyes to let out a _long_ , exasperated sigh.

“Fine, I take it you want to go ice skating, Ciri?”

His daughter nodded and smiled widely, cheeks pink with excitement as if she’d already spent an hour out in the snow. “Oh, can we? I know how you hate it, but I promise we can make it fun! Right, Jaskier?”

Jaskier looked at her, a slightly stunned expression on his face that made Geralt tilt his head curiously, before recovering with a smile just as brilliant. “Certainly, dear child, that sounds like a lovely evening! Now, Geralt, you cannot _possibly_ refuse your precious daughter, let alone the man you love, right? How terrible can ice skating be, really?”

“He’s actually quite good!” Ever to his defense, Ciri directed her bright gaze to Jaskier next and pouted his way. Jaskier put a hand to his chest, feeling attacked, and blushed.

“I never said he wasn’t, I will believe it when I see it, though!”

~

The challenge is what inevitably led the trio to bask in the sparkling golden and red lights of the Rockefeller Square tree, bundled against the cold as they waited for Yennefer to arrive. Ciri bounced from foot to foot and chattered on about her favorite holiday treats, hands tucked snugly in the pockets of her blue overcoat and ears kept warm under fuzzy white earmuffs. Jaskier listened attentively, nodding along and contributing to the little girl’s rambles, although he stayed securely fastened to Geralt’s arm, mittened hands clinging to his bicep to ward off the chill that crept through his stylish albeit less effective coat.

Geralt watched the crowd for Yennefer, staying near the railing with stiff shoulders as tourists with their phones and cameras flocked around them to snap the best pictures of the tree manageable with this many people present. It was one thing Geralt never got used to, being a New York resident – one would think he’d grow accustomed to the whims of tourists, but in reality he just found new ways to be frustrated and uncomfortable when they pushed the wrong way on the sidewalk or just stood in the middle of everything to gawk at the city he called home.

“Geralt, love, you’re brooding… It’s almost Christmas, that glower doesn’t suit the sparkly lights.” Jaskier murmured in his ear, breath warm on his cheek, before pecking a light kiss there. Geralt shook himself from his daze and relaxed ever so slightly, moving to put his arm around Jaskier’s slender waist. He could feel how the narrower man was shivering.

“It’s freezing, and it’s going to be colder down on the ice. Will you be okay?” He said in response, hazel eyes still scanning the masses for Ciri’s mother.

“Is it really? I’m sweating like crazy! Must be nerves, I _am_ meeting your ex-wife after all! Does she even know I’m coming? Does she know about me at all? Oh, Geralt I _really_ don’t want to cause a fight on Ciri’s special night out with you two…”

“Quit worrying, she knows plenty about you, it’s fine and she’s honestly a very pleasant woman. But why are you so –” Cutting himself off, Geralt smiled instead when Yennefer herself emerged from behind a throng of carolers stationed on the corner of the block. Bundled in her favorite coat, a thick grey one with black and white fur trim, she smiled from behind a black scarf and waved before quickening her pace to meet them.

Ciri spotted her moments later and squealed, jumping in place before running forward into open arms. “Mummy, you look beautiful! Did you get a chance to get any hot chocolate from the cart over there, it’s absolutely delicious! Oh, and this is Jaskier, Dad’s boyfriend!” Clutching Yennefer’s slender hand in her own small mittens, Ciri led her mother towards the two men. Her smile reflected even that of the glistening tree, a competition of cheer and light all in one gesture.

“It’s nice to meet you finally, Jaskier. You can call me Yen,” Yennefer smiled, her dark curls framing her face perfectly. She held out her hand, fingernails neatly painted a deep purple, and Geralt could tell from one glance that Jaskier adored her.

“You as well, Yen, and you look stunning if I must add,” Jaskier shook her hand with an adorable chuckle of his own. “I’m glad Ciri convinced this big grump to let me come along, I understand this is a family tradition… I’m truly honored to be welcome.”

“Of course! She loves you, he loves you, even if I found you dreadfully irritating in some way I would have no say against it. You’re perfectly alright, Jaskier.” She put an arm around Ciri then and looked then to Geralt, her dark eyes warm and joyful. “Shall we go down and rent our skates, then?”

“Yeah, I already spoke to the attendant, he’s got them set aside for us…” Geralt felt Jaskier bristle beside him ever so slightly and almost frowned, but no – tonight was a good night. It was fun, it was the holidays, it was cold but there was a beautiful tree above them, and the lights cast a cozy glow over the square, enveloping them in the warmth of family. Tonight was going to be simply perfect.

~

Jaskier did not think this through. The skates were heavier than he anticipated, and the moment he stood up, he knew the trained dancing experience thought to save him would do nothing against the imbalance forcing shuffling feet across the floor to even stay standing. Fuck.

 _How hard could ice skating be?_ He’d said. He had so foolishly figured Geralt did not want to go because he couldn’t skate, and was intending to show him up or at _least_ have them fumble together. He should have known better, that it was the crowds and the money that deterred him, not lack of talent. He should have _fucking_ known better, that Geralt would look amazing. This was humiliating.

The ice was bright, the gold and red light from the tree almost blinding from its surface. Jaskier finished re-tying the lace of his skate while watching Geralt take a lap of the rink from the corner of his eye. Ciri and Yennefer held hands and spun in slow circles, Ciri’s giggles carrying across the rink, chiming above Yennefer’s warm, husky laugh. The sound got distant as they drifted to the opposite end, and Jaskier looked down as the light from the tree and the city was suddenly shrouded.

“Are you coming, Jaskier?” Geralt’s tone was soft, a genuine question, but a lilt of mirth existed that made the younger man’s heart twist.

Jaskier reddened and kept his head ducked, then peeked out at the girls once more before furiously untying his skate. “Yes, yes, just a moment… I can’t seem to get these laces right…”

He couldn’t do it. But he did not want to disappoint Ciri nor ruin their night. That girl was so sweet, Jaskier _knew_ it would make her feel badly if he elected to linger on the sideline. But he _also_ did not want to slow them down – literally and figuratively – especially when it was Geralt’s night just as much as hers.

And, of course, the dumbest, most _irrational_ fear that Jaskier had been trying to push down long before they even arrived at the Square: if he could not skate better than Yennefer, if he somehow inhibited them from having fun, then perhaps Geralt would look to her and realize what he was missing out on. Unlikely, of course, Jaskier called himself a fool; but the thought simply would not leave him alone.

He had been silent for too long, and now his hands were shaking while he fumbled with the laces and it was all coming to the surface, and –

“Jaskier? Is everything alright?”

– it suddenly burst forth. Jaskier spat out every little thing he had been thinking the entire afternoon and well into the evening.

“I can’t skate, Geralt, I don’t know how. I – I thought that since I knew how to dance, it would be easy, but these shoes are dreadfully heavy, and I don’t want to fall on my ass out there. It’s going to be humiliating and I _know_ Ciri wanted me to come and I just – I don’t want to ruin your night with your family, and I’m so sorry, but I really… I really don’t think I should have come.”

It hurt, admitting it out loud. Hugging himself, Jaskier let baby blue eyes fall to stare at the small, carpeted bit of ground between their toes, and his cheeks burned from more than the cold. Everything stung, a lonesome and twisting feeling of unwelcomeness, one that could only come with a sense of familial isolation on the holidays. This was _so_ embarrassing, he wanted nothing more than to throw these skates away and go hide in a lavatory corner; or better yet, he wanted nothing more than to be at home. Preferably with Geralt, snuggled in his bed, warm under the covers, and have this whole night forgotten.

The rushing sound had to leave his ears before Jaskier realized that Geralt was laughing. Warm, loving, a wholesome chuckle that forced his boyfriend to look up with an astonished, watery gaze. Geralt laughed, shoulders shaking and hands on his sides to clutch his stomach for relief. Other couples on the ice looked curiously as they glided past, at the big snowy-haired man laughing his ass off on the side of the rink. Jaskier cocked a brow.

“I’m not exactly in the state to be made fun of, Geralt, my dear.”

“Jaskier, did you honestly think I expected you to be good at skating?” Finally managing to utter, Geralt wiped at his eyes and sighed. “You stumble over furniture that’s been in the same place of my apartment all year, you slip when you wear socks in the kitchen. I don’t care how good your dancing is, _everyone_ is shit at skating when they first try. Now,” he tilted his head, laughter now echoing as breathy sighs as a playful smirk appeared on Geralt’s lips, “would you _please_ finish tying your fucking shoe and come skate with me?”

Jaskier blinked up at him, watching the glow from the tree and the ice form a halo about his head – _gruff angel ­–_ and felt his heart well up into his throat. Swiping quickly at his eyes lest some emotion catch itself there, Jaskier quickly tied the bow of the laces on his skate and shuffled over to take Geralt’s hands.

“Please don’t let me fall. If you do, I’ll really never forgive you after that. I’m already embarrassed enough.” Giggling softly too, Jaskier let himself be pulled out onto the ice, gasping softly when the traction left his feet.

“I’ve got you.” Geralt held tightly to his hands, letting Jaskier glide closely before pressing a light kiss to his lips, then his nose. The golden light of the tree shone a mirror image in his warm hazel eyes, a loving glimmer as he pulled away.

Jaskier took a breath, and the cold air around him did nothing against the flush of his cheeks, nor the content warmth of love that swelled up inside him. It was almost the holidays, it was a season for family and loved ones and… dammit if he wasn’t feeling something special. Held in Geralt’s arms under the light of a magnificent tree, his own feet unsteady but Geralt’s grip on him strong and secure. Geralt’s daughter laughing in the background as she spun and skated around her mother, a lovely and kind woman who got to remain a part of her life and create a happy family in which Jaskier was now included.

Jaskier slipped a little, distracted still by the reflection of the tree in Geralt’s eyes; but this time instead of feeling afraid or embarrassed, he simply laughed and clung tighter to his boyfriend’s forearms. Geralt mumbled some instruction, something about pushing feet outwards, and Jaskier must have internalized it despite hearing nothing, for their path became easier and smoother. But now he focused solely on the way Geralt’s hand slid down to hold his own and they skated side by side.

It was perfect, more than Jaskier had admittedly expected… But it was perfect. They skated together, rocky at first and now in flowing unison, and a distant part of Jaskier’s mind not concentrating on the beautiful man in front of him wanted to write that parallel down for a poem or song.

“Jaskier, you finally joined us! You’re doing great!” Ciri sped up beside them, taking his free hand and spinning in front to skate backwards. “You two look adorable, by the way, Mum agrees.”

“Well, thank you for thinking so,” Jaskier chuckled, a slight tremor in his voice as he remained careful to not step on the little girl’s toes. “Did you leave Yen all by herself, Ciri?”

“No, she’s coming to skate with Dad! Come on, I’m going to teach you how to go backwards now, like me!”

“What?”

“It’ll be fun, come on! You’ll get the hang of it in no time!”

“I don’t think I’m – _Geralt,_ she’s taking me away!”

“You’ll be alright, Jask, she’ll take care of you,” Geralt hummed, a soft smile on his face, and drifted to the edge of the rink to stay clear of the other couples and families celebrating their holiday in Rockefeller Square tonight.

He was not alone long though, for Yennefer silently fell into pace beside him, a happy grin mirroring Geralt’s own. He would never be lonely on the holidays, and Geralt loved that _so_ much about his family – especially the new addition.

“She’s taken quite a liking to him,” Yennefer beamed, watching their daughter clap her mittened hands together excitedly when Jaskier finally found his footing and managed to skate backwards in front of her; slowly, but surely, a gradual learning curve that came with any friendship, honestly. It was precious.

“Yeah,” was all Geralt managed to say, watching the two of them smile and feeling so incredibly _lucky_. “She has. He loves her too. They’re…”

Perfect. Special. Everything. Words left for only a moment while Geralt watched them, warmth blooming in his chest and his heart beating heavily, a rhythmic thud like a parade keeping tempo for his pooling affections. He looked up at the tree, blinking back whatever dampness gathered there in his eyes.

“Christmas spirit?” Yennefer teased, a knowing smirk following her gaze to Geralt’s eyes. She elbowed him lightly before hooking their arms and pushing off to skate with the flow of the others in the rink.

“The reflection from the tree was shining in my eyes, Yen,” Geralt excused, another chuckle rising and drifting past his lips in puffs of air to greet the cold, lovely night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Leave a comment if you enjoyed - I respond to each and every one!!
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone, and Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate!! I meant to write holiday fics for the whole month, but school got crazy last minute and I did not have time!! But luckily, with dedication, a lot of Tchaikovsky, and Christmas spirit, I managed to hammer this holiday special out just in time for y'all!!
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed, and stay safe and warm this holiday season!
> 
> Follow me on social media! Twitter @thirthfloor, Tumblr @aegir-emblem !!


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